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Diane Bowen retiring after 16 years at IFOAM-Organics International

06.11.2018

After 26 years of tireless professional commitment to the organic cause, and 16 years at IFOAM-Organics International, Diane Bowen has decided to retire at the end of this year.

Diane joined the organic movement in 1992, and after gaining impressive experience in the organic certification world, joined us at IFOAM – Organics International in 2002 to support the revision of the IFOAM Organic Guarantee System. Since then, Diane has worked in various capacities within IFOAM – Organics International, primarily focused on guarantee systems and on facilitating organic trade through partnerships with FAO and UNCTAD in initiatives for harmonization and equivalence. More recently, Diane has also been instrumental in IFOAM-Organics InternationaI’s work to assist governments in establishing policies to support the development of organic agriculture.

Diane’s retirement is an irreplaceable loss for IFOAM – Organics International, and her unique competence, professionalism and unfailing team spirit will be deeply missed. However, we want to express our warm wishes to her for a well-deserved respite after such an intense career in advancing the organic cause.

Diane says, “Reflecting on my professional life, I am deeply grateful to have been part of the IFOAM team for more than 16 years. Few people are as fortunate as I have been to be able to serve their “calling” – in my case to promote and support a system of human enterprise, agriculture, that respects and cares for our whole planet, presently and toward its future. While my work was often technical and administrative, my spirit was always connected to the soil."

Diane can be contacted at her IFOAM – Organics International email address until 14 December. We encourage all members who want to keep in touch with her on a personal level to do so: we know that Diane is retiring but won’t ever leave the organic movement!